


Mixed Signals

by LucindaAM



Series: My Guilty Pleasure One-Shots [3]
Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Light Swearing, No Smut, Tony Stark is in love, Too bad you haven't noticed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-22
Updated: 2020-06-22
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:27:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,338
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24883810
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LucindaAM/pseuds/LucindaAM
Summary: Tony Stark has never had a hard time getting most ladies and some men to fall head over heels in love with him. That's why it's been so frustrating that you've barely given him the time of day. It's not that you wouldn't be interested if he asked . . . he's just never asked and you can get . . . what's the word? Focused. On other things.What's a fella gotta do to get a date around here?Based on the lines; "Are you flirting with me?" "Have been for awhile, thanks for noticing."
Relationships: Tony Stark/Reader
Series: My Guilty Pleasure One-Shots [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1997734
Comments: 1
Kudos: 138





	Mixed Signals

“That a new jacket?” Tony asked from the other side of the lab.

I shrugged a shoulder as I concentrated on twisting the tiny screw into place on the latest creation Tony had abandoned half-way through. It was just like him to get started on a project, just to think of something better and leave me to finish it for him.

“Well, it looks good on you.” He grumbled from the corner. I barely even registered his words as the screw finally locked in place and the tale-tell hum of electricity powering up filled my small part of the lab.

“Well aren’t you a beauty.” I whispered, stroking the beautiful creation of plastics and metal. I wiped away an imaginary tear as I took in three weeks of hard work.

“You sure are.” Tony whispered back, eyes glancing in my direction.

I shot a beaming smile at him. “We should test it out!” I said excitedly, picking up the gauntlet and rushing it over to him. “I gotta see my baby in action!”

Tony opened and closed his mouth, doing an excellent impersonation of a fish. I rolled my eyes and grabbed one of his arms, propping it up so I could slip the gauntlet on his hand. “JARVIS?” I asked. “Can we get some targets?”

The AI sighed. “I don’t think that’s wise, miss. You remember what happened last time you activated a firearm in the lab.”

I waved a hand flippantly in the air as I tweaked a few things on the gauntlet, closing it more firmly around Tony’s fist. “It was only a LITTLE explosion. Very minor. I’ve seen worse.”

Tony started underneath my hands, causing my screwdriver to slip. I glared up at him when I saw the scratch marks in the new paint job. “Seriously?”

He ignored my question entirely as he stared at me. “What do you mean; ‘You’ve seen worse’?!”

I shrugged a shoulder and went back to inspecting the gauntlet. “Well before you stole me . . . I DID work for SHIELD. When they say jump, you ask how high. They don’t really care so much about safety protocols when there’s global terrorists and supervillains running around.”

Tony was silent for just a second before he yanked the gauntlet out of my hands, forcing my eyes back to his. A storm was brewing behind his eyes that made me straighten and take an unconscious step backwards.

“What?” He asked. The single word was uttered low and dangerous. I took another step back.

“. . . . Uh . . .” I started.

Tony stood from his stool and reached out his hand, still encased in the newly designed gauntlet, and snatched my wrist. He violently yanked the sleeve on my jacket up and gestured at the burn scars underneath it.

“That what happened here?” He demanded.

“Um . . . yes?” I stuttered. “But again . . . it was a LITTLE explosion. Very minor. Only took out half a lab. Max.”

“Nope. Unacceptable. Let’s go.” Tony abruptly released my arm and ripped off the gauntlet before taking my hand in his and pulling me out of the lab. I stumbled, trying to keep up with the mad pace he was setting.

“What? Where are we going?” I demanded as Tony led me to the elevator. He didn’t answer, but his grip on my hand grew firmer.

“Tony!”

He pulled me into the elevator and hit the button for the medbay so hard, I was sure I was going to have to fix it later.

Still, he didn’t answer. I watched him with wide eyes as he silently stewed in the corner of the elevator. Every now and again, he would flex his hand around mine, squeezing even tighter, and murmur something before falling silent again. I did my best to remain calm.

The elevator doors opened eventually, and Tony pulled me into the medbay. “Dr. Cho!” He called.

The woman in question came bursting through the doors only seconds later, a look of panic on her face. She looked between the two of us in confusion. I waved my free hand awkwardly. “Afternoon, doctor.” I murmured.

Tony yanked on my other hand and moved me towards one of the gurneys. He plopped me down on it and finally released my hand. I winced and flexed it a few times as the blood finally began pumping through my bruised appendage again.

Tony gestured towards me. “Can the cradle fix her?” He asked.

Dr. Cho glanced at him and took a few, almost hesitant, steps towards me. “Depends what’s wrong with you.” She said, looking at me.

I shook my head, still baffled by whatever had set Tony off in the lab earlier.

Tony grunted in annoyance and invaded my personal space again as he reached for my arm and lifted my sleeve, showing Dr. Cho the bubbled skin there.

Oh.

That.

Dr. Cho glanced at it and then back at me as Tony released my arm and took a step back again. “May I?” She asked, gesturing at my arm.

“Sure.” I said, moving to shrug the jacket off. As soon as the jacket was folded up next to me, I held my arm out for her to look over.

She poked and prodded at the skin and I grimaced in discomfort. Though the pain had mostly faded over the past year, any focused contact with the tightened skin did still hurt.

“How long ago did this happen?” She asked.

“Just over a year ago.” I responded.

She hummed as she thought for a moment. “It’s . . . unusual to say the least.” She started after a minute. “The cradle has never been used on tissue damage that’s more than a few days old. In theory it could work . . .” She wandered off to the side and picked up the tablet that was sitting on the desk in the corner. She ran a few scenarios while Tony and I sat awkwardly in silence.

Finally, Dr. Cho nodded a few times at her tablet and came over. “I think I have it figured out. Would you like to try?” She asked me.

I glanced at Tony who was busy glaring at the floor and muttering something that sound awfully unflattering and vaguely threatening towards Director Fury. He didn’t seem to notice my glance so I turned back to Dr. Cho.

“Well, now I’m curious.” I said, smiling at her.

She gestured for me to follow her and we left Tony behind as she took me into a separate room. “The damage is healed over now so I’m afraid it’s going to take at least a few hours. If you feel yourself getting sleepy, that’s natural. Don’t fight it.”

“Okay . . .” I murmured, climbing into the cradle. I’d heard about the medical marvel we had stored in the medbay but I hadn’t had a chance to look at it up close. I would have to beg Cho for a chance to look over the schematics if it actually did what Tony thought it would be able to do.

Cho sealed the cradle shut over me and gave me a brief thumbs up before pressing a series of buttons. I heard a whirring noise as the machine activated and almost instantly, I felt my eyes slipping shut and sleep coming to claim me.

“Oh.” I whispered, waking up.

“Hey! Hey. Are you back with me?” Tony called from the corner. I pushed myself up into a seating position and groaned as the room seemed to spin around me.

Steady hands gripped my shoulders and kept me steady. “Just give it a minute. It can be a bit much the first time.”

I squeezed my eyes shut and willed brain to knock it off before I reluctantly peeked an eye open. I was sitting in the recovery room of the medbay. It was a room I was intimately familiar with having spent as much time babysitting a bedridden Tony as I had.

“Did it work?” I asked.

Tony chuckled and took a few steps back when he saw I wasn’t going to topple over anymore. “Why don’t you see for yourself?”

I pulled my arm up and glanced at it. Then I squinted at it. Then I reached my free hand over and actually poked at it.

Though it didn’t necessarily feel any different; there was still a faint tugging underneath where the skin felt too tight, the top layer of skin was smooth as a baby’s bottom. I couldn’t believe my eyes. A surprised gasp fell from my lips and Tony chuckled.

“Damn. Dr. Cho is a miracle worker. She did a beautiful job.” I murmured. I hadn’t expected this level of craftsmanship if I was being honest. The damage had been quite extensive.

“She had a beautiful canvas to work with.” Tony murmured.

I froze.

Wait.

What?

My heart skipped a beat and I slowly lifted my eyes from my guinea pig arm to glance at Tony because he was messing with me, right? He had to be.

My eyes met his and my heart skipped another beat. The pure and serious hunger I saw there made me swallow hard.

“Are . . . are you flirting with me?” I asked breathlessly.

That seemed to snap Tony out of whatever trance he’d been in before. He let out a self-deprecating chuckle. “I have been for the past year. But thanks for noticing.”

It was my turn to gape like a fish as I glanced at him and then at the floor and then back again. My mind was racing through every single interaction we’d had since we’d first met, and he’d begged me to come work for him.

Oh.

My.

Thor.

He’d been flirting with me the whole time.

How had I not noticed?!

“. . . Uh . . .”

Dr. Cho thankfully took that moment to walk in.

“Oh, good. You’re awake. How are you feeling?” My eyes snapped between her and Tony as I tried to articulate a response. Unfortunately, I was pretty sure my brain had just snapped in two.

Tony laughed. “She’s fine. Isn’t that right, honey?” He asked sweetly, trying out the new nickname.

I nodded dumbly, still trying to wrap my head around everything.

Dr. Cho smiled. “Well, as you can see, the top layers of skin were healed just fine. There was some muscle damage and deep tissue damage that was beyond even my abilities to heal. At least for now. Perhaps with a few more sessions, we can do something about that as well.” She smiled at me and I somehow managed a small ‘thank you’ before she swept out of the room to do whatever it was Tony had interrupted when he’d dragged me down here in the first place.

I was staring wide-eyed at the floor.

Tony came up to me with a wry smile on his face. “You see, now this was the reaction I was expecting when I started flirting with you a year ago. Have to say, it’s a little concerning you only JUST NOW picked up on that. I must be getting rusty.”

I laughed nervously.

Tony took on a more serious tone of voice as he squatted down in front of me so I’d be forced to meet his eyes. “Listen . . . if you aren’t interested . . . that’s fine. Tell me now and we can go back to being friends. You’re a great lab partner. Best I ever had. Don’t tell Bruce.” He hesitated. “But if you are interested . . . I like you. And I’d like a chance to see where this goes.”

I sat still for a minute and mulled it over, more to make Tony squirm than because I needed time to think it over. I’d admired him from afar for years before I got hired by SHIELD. Then, I’d admired him up close. Getting a job offer to work side-by-side with him had been nothing short of a dream come true. Of course, I’d accepted it immediately.

Those who knew of my admiration had warned me it was never a good idea to meet your idols. I hadn’t listened to any of the naysayers and in the end, I was glad I hadn’t. Working with Tony hadn’t changed anything except made me realize just what a good man he was underneath the suits and swagger. In fact, I didn’t think it was too far of a stretch to say that I was already well on my way to falling in love with him. I was just too oblivious to notice until it was staring me right in the face.

I glanced up at him and saw the nervous expression he was trying to hide behind his mask of cockiness.

I smiled. “I’d love to go out with you sometime, Tony.” I said.

He smiled tenderly and started to lean in for a kiss.

“But first, I really need you to go test that gauntlet I’ve been working on. Chop, chop. There’s a deadline.” I couldn’t keep the sarcastic smile off my face as I jumped from the gurney and moved towards the elevator.

I heard him groan behind me and my smile got bigger. “Honey!” Tony whined. “I’m sure your boss will let you push the deadline back!” I could clearly hear the flirtatious tone now. Still couldn’t believe I’d been so oblivious for so long.

“I’m sure he would hot-stuff! But I’m not! I spent three weeks of blood, sweat and tears on that thing and I want to finally see it in action!”

Tony whined but slunk into the elevator behind me. He waited until I pressed the button for the R&D labs before he wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled my back against his chest. He leaned down and brushed his lips against my ear. A shiver raced through me. “Fine. But after this . . . I have a new project for you. It involves dinner, maybe a movie, and a lot of kissing. Deadline is tonight.”

I chuckled breathlessly and wrapped my arms around my waist, keeping his arm pinned there. “Why Mr. Stark . . . aren't you quite the flirt.”


End file.
